


Stutter Steps

by lovedealer (missmonster)



Series: Lungs 'verse [2]
Category: Johnny's Entertainment, Kanjani8 (Band), NewS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Developing Relationship, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-30
Updated: 2010-06-30
Packaged: 2018-10-16 06:54:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10565961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missmonster/pseuds/lovedealer
Summary: In the still of the night, the distance between two bodies can seem to stretch for miles.





	

**Author's Note:**

> written as a follow up/side story to [Trapped Between Two Lungs](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10565436). For my DOA team mates, who are horrible enablers who I love very much.

During the day, life was pretty normal for Ryo and Yoko. 

They'd argue over which restaurant had the best cuisine in whatever category they had decided on for the moment or what store sold the best clothes or music or video games. They'd take each other to their favorite landmarks from their childhood and spend hours visiting friends and family, old work buddies. Unfortunately, it wasn't as much of an escape as they'd planned; all of Osaka seemed to be abuzz with news of the Sugar and Spice Killer. Word of the case had spread fast, and while the media didn't know all the facts, they had more than enough info to whip the general populace into a frenzy. A serial killer. Six dead girls. The ensuing shoot out in the park that had resulted in an injured police officer and a dead psychopath. Shit like that just didn't happen every day, even in a bustling, depraved metropolis like Tokyo. 

Still, they tried to enjoy their vacation as much as possible. They roamed the familiar streets of Osaka during the daylight hours, and when the evening rolled around the two of them took turns buying dinner for each other and going out to drinks with whoever was free in town. All in all, it was comfortable; nice to see each other away from the station, the crumpled suits and murder cases.

It was only after they came back to the hotel room every night with its single, king-size bed that the atmosphere took a dive. 

They had, of course, entered the hotel as three. Koyama had a surplus of sick days so taking a week off to follow the two detectives to Osaka hadn't been a problem. Four days into their shared vacation, however, Koyama had received an urgent call from work, asking him if he couldn't cut his week off a little short to cover for a sick co-worker. They had whined--well, Yoko whined; Ryo just acted annoyed and pretended not to pout--but according to Koyama, Kato had sounded pretty close to death and Koyama had a strict policy against performing autopsies on people he knew and liked. Sparing them each a kiss on the cheek and ordering them to play nice, Koyama had boarded a train back to Tokyo with promises that he'd make up for lost time when they came back at the end of the week. 

And that was when things became weird. 

It wasn't that they disliked each other. If anything, making the switch to polyamory had only helped cast them in new and tempting lights. Routes they had brushed off as impossible were suddenly open wide before them, sparkling and inviting. But it was all too new and they hadn't quite warmed up to the idea of sleeping together without Koyama there as a catalyst. It was easier to get swept up in the heat of the moment when Koyama was around; to pretend that any wayward touches or kisses were the delicious byproducts of being too aroused to care who the lips or body parts belonged to. Instigating anything while it was just the two of them was a big step, and one neither knew if they were ready to make. Koyama may have worked in the same station as them, but he was mostly relegated to the stiffs down in the basement. Aside from when they actively sought each other out or bumped into each other in the hall, the amount of interaction he and the two detectives had at work was relatively slim. Ryo and Yoko, on the other hand, were expected to work in close contact with each other on an almost daily basis. Changing the status quo in the wrong way could mean all manner of difficulties neither one was eager to face. 

So they ignored the issue. 

Each night they fell asleep on either side of the bed, back to back like brothers and with every intent of keeping the arrangement just like that. Without Koyama there to pull them all together in one great, warm mass, it was easier to try and ignore the building tension buzzing between them. Both Ryo and Yoko were exceptionally well-practiced at pretending the urges they had didn't exist. 

They made a point to sleep as if the other did not exist and yet each day broke with them wrapped in each other, as if their bodies had reacted to what they'd wanted on a subconscious level, sleep stripping away all the macho posturing and leaving only naked desire in its wake.

The first morning after Koyama left greeted them with their legs and arms tangled together, Ryo's wrist under Yoko's neck and Yoko with an arm slung loosely across Ryo's middle. They didn't talk about it beyond Yoko whining about how crappy it had been to be roused from sleep by Ryo yanking his hand back so suddenly. 

The second morning they woke up spooning, Yoko wrapped around Ryo's body like he was a giant teddy bear there to comfort a crying child. Ryo had grumbled and shifted around a bit, but it was warm in Yoko's arms and, though he'd never voice the thought aloud, Ryo liked being held. So he'd let himself drift back off to sleep, only to wake up an hour later to an empty bed and Yoko making them a pot of sub-par hotel coffee. They'd both been a little quiet as they'd prepared for the day, but once they were out under the hot Osaka sun, far away from the hotel room and its single bed, the mood between them had reverted to its normal state of playful bickering and friendly jabs. No harm, no foul.

On the third morning, Ryo awoke to the pleasant sensation of lips moving against the back of his neck, ghosting along his hairline and kissing the soft patches of skin under his jaw. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized it was Yoko, but he wasn't quite awake enough to object. And, to be honest, the ticklish brushes of lips on his skin felt good.

Ryo stretched his neck out to accommodate, inviting more of those wonderful feather-light kisses and sighing contentedly when he received them. He could feel Yoko's hand run along the curve of his waist and shivered at the sensation, arching when Yoko pressed his fingers hard against Ryo's hip and pulled their bodies tight to each other. Ryo groaned soflty; Yoko was hard, the press of his cock fitting nicely between Ryo's ass as they rocked slowly, causing Ryo to realize he was already half-hard as well. When Yoko tugged, Ryo offered no resistance, allowing Yoko to roll him onto his back. Soft lips traversed the line of Ryo's neck and jaw until they came to rest on Ryo's mouth, kissing lazily as if the world had paused just for them. 

Ryo was almost fully awake by this point, but too turned on to let himself get caught on the hangups that had been plaguing him all week. Instead he twined a hand up into Yoko's hair, holding him close as he sucked softly on Yoko's bottom lip. Yoko rocked against him in response, elicting a needy groan out of Ryo as they ground down on each other, little shocks of pleasure running up and down Ryo's spine from where they touched.

And then Yoko sat up, as if his brain had chosen that moment to tell him that this was most definitely not a good idea. He turned away, though Ryo hadn't missed the way the tips of his ears had gone crimson. Ryo barely heard him mumble, "Gonna take a shower." 

Before Ryo had enough time to gather his wits to respond, Yoko had ripped off the sheets, tripping over his feet as he rushed to the bathroom and leaving Ryo with an empty bed, a hard on, and his mind swimming with unanswered questions. 

\--

Unlike the previous days, the events of that morning hung over their heads all the way into the evening, casting a shadow of insecurity over all their interactions. Yoko seemed entirely on edge, as if even being near Ryo threatened his existence. He flinched away at the slightest touch, wisecracks replaced with nervous laughter and anxious glances. It was like they were reliving their first days as partners all over again but infinitely more nerve wracking; at least back then, Yoko hadn't acted like Ryo would bite his head off if he so much as looked at him for more than a few seconds. Just being around Yoko when he was this riled up was making Ryo's blood pressure skyrocket.

By the time they arrived back at the hotel, Ryo was so worked up that he immediately made for the shower in hopes that the warm cascade of water would calm him. Yoko had been fidgeting nonstop at dinner and it had only served to agitate Ryo past the point of frustration. He tried asking Yoko repeatedly what had crawled up his ass but the most he got was a noncommittal shrug of the shoulders and a half-hearted, "It's nothing, really."

Yoko was sitting on the edge of the bed when Ryo returned from the bathroom, all jumpy nerves and jittery movements. His legs were bouncing as if they were preparing for a marathon and he was just barely keeping them from shooting off without him. "Maybe I should sleep on the floor."

Ryo paused toweling off his hair long enough to frown at his partner. "Why?"

Yoko shrugged, looking more than a little lost. He shot Ryo another nervous glance only to wither immediately under Nishikido's gaze.

"Don't be a dumb ass, the bed is big enough for both of us."

"Maybe I want to sleep on the floor," Yoko mumbled, picking at the loose sweatpants he'd taken to sleeping in now that Koyama wasn't there to strip them off him. 

Ryo fished a pair of clean boxers out of his bag and slipped them on under the towel wrapped around his waist. It felt silly to be self-conscious around someone who had seen--and touched--his naked body on multiple occasions, but if Yoko was going to be weird about it, then Ryo felt no need to agitate him any further. Especially with the way Yoko kept sending him furtive glances as he dressed. "You're acting like a five year old."

"Am not."

"What, acting?" 

Yoko looked wounded, bottom lip jutting out into a pout, but didn't bother to respond past a half-hearted shrug.

Ryo sighed and threw his damp towels on the chair next to the bed. This was getting ridiculous and he was already worn thin after a day of babysitting Yoko's frayed nerves. Thank goodness they were leaving the next afternoon. "For fuck's sake, just sleep. I'm too tired to deal with this." Punching his pillow a bit too hard, Ryo turned off the lights and lay down for what he hoped would be a solid night's sleep. 

Stillness on the other side of the bed meant Yoko had finally managed to get his jitters under control though he made no movement to suggest he was going to lie down either. He could be as moody as he wanted, but Ryo wasn't going to let it bother him. Or, at least, he was going to valiantly pretend he wasn't unnerved by Yoko's silence and refusal to join him in bed. 

Ryo had finally managed to relax, drifting on the very edge of sleep when he heard Yoko whisper his name questioningly. He ignored it out of principle. Ryo was comfortable and in no desire to change this fact. Hopefully Yoko could save discussing any epiphanies he'd just had for their two and a half hour train ride the following day. 

Unfortunately, Yoko did not seem to be of the same mind on the subject. His voice was a little louder, albeit entirely lacking in confidence. "Ryo, are you awake?"

Silence, and then Ryo felt the weight shift on the bed next to him. Ryo resisted the urge to sigh out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding in. A good night's sleep was probably all they needed to wash away the horrible awkwardness that had plagued them all day; he was glad that Yoko had finally seen it that way as well.

He hadn't, however, expected to feel Yoko's hand slide down his face to cradle Ryo's jaw, thumb running back and forth along the ridge of his cheekbone and then migrating to his mouth, tracing the curves of Ryo's lips. Ryo swallowed hard. Memories of that morning came rushing back to the forefront of his consciousness along with something that almost resembled hunger and apprehension and affection all rolled up into one.

"Are you going to run away again?" Ryo didn't realize he was speaking until he heard the words rip through the silence of the room. Yoko's fingers stilled, started to gravitate away but Ryo was too quick, grabbing Yoko's wrist to keep him from fleeing. If Yoko was so set on starting something, he'd make sure they saw it through to the end.

Nishikido rolled onto his back to attempt to get a better view of his bedmate. He could barely make out the features of Yoko's face in the dark, but even with the sparse light it was obvious that Yoko was hesitating. Still busy doing donuts in his head. Ryo sighed. "Just say it. Whatever's been on your mind, just spit it out already."

Yoko swayed, looking entirely uncertain and chewing on his bottom lip. Just as Ryo was about to snap at him again, he leaned in, mouth hovering over Ryo's ear as if to share a secret. That close, Ryo could hear the slight tremor in his breath when he spoke.

"I... I really want to fuck you."

Ryo was caught between a gasp and a shudder, the words shooting straight to his dick. All of a sudden he was glad he had turned the lights off for the night, darkness obscuring the blush he could feel burning across his face. 

Yoko must've taken Ryo's silence for apprehension because he heard Yoko swallow and then lick his lips. "Can I?"

Ryo didn't bother to hide the sharp intake of air this time. It had been a long time since he'd been on the receiving end when it came to sex but the idea thrilled him, made something hot and excited clench in his stomach. Releasing Yoko's wrist, Ryo wrapped his arms around the other man, one hand rising up to tangle in the thick fibers of Yoko's hair as he guided their faces until their lips touched, sucking Yoko's tongue into his mouth eagerly the minute it slipped past his lips. 

At the signal of Ryo's consent, Yoko climbed on top of him, placing his leg between Ryo's, thigh pressing softly against the rapidly hardening flesh trapped within the confines of his boxers. Just enough friction to have Ryo sighing into their kiss, little noises Yoko gobbled up greedily. He felt Yoko's hands slide down his side, catching on the patches of skin that had yet to fully dry from the shower and skipping along the outlines of Ryo's ribs. The fingers stopped their halting dance to linger a little longer than necessary on the area above Ryo's stitches, something Ryo had caught him doing on more than one occasion since Ryo returned from the hospital. Nishikido knew what it meant, or at least could take a good stab (no pun intended) at what Yoko was thinking. With a growl, Ryo grabbed his attention with a rough kiss, forcing Yoko to stop his brooding in favor of the scrape of teeth against Yoko's mouth and the slick slide of tongue between his lips. Thankfully, Yoko seemed more than eager to go along with Ryo's diversionary tactic and his hand began to wander again, sliding beneath the elastic of Ryo's boxers to rub along Ryo's hip bones, completely ignoring the hardened flesh mere centimeters away and making Ryo snarl with want.

Not willing to take the entirely passive role, Ryo ran his own hand down Yoko's chest, pinching a nipple between his fingers and smiling against Yoko's lips when he felt the resulting shiver run through his partner's body. Yoko shifted his hand in retaliation, finally wrapping his fingers around Ryo's cock to give it a lazy pump, hold tight but not too tight and so deliciously warm around him. Ryo broke their lip lock to moan, arching up into the contact and saying something that might have been a demand for Yoko to stop teasing him and get on with it but sounded more like a whimpering plea. "Fuck, Yoko, please--!"

Now it was Yoko's turn to smile smugly. Placing a surprisingly chaste kiss to Ryo's shoulder, he broke their contact to sit up, not giving Ryo enough time to whine before there was a click and soft yellow light flooded the area directly around the bedside table. In the glow of the lamp, Ryo could see Yoko sitting on his heels, eyes half-lidded and a thin sheen of sweat already forming on his skin, scanning Ryo up and down like he was starving and Nishikido's body was a king's feast laid out before him. Ryo even thought he caught him lick his lips lazily. With an mischievous grin, he shifted to dig around in his bag on the floor--Ryo didn't see what Yoko was looking for but could take a fairly educated guess--and when he turned back around Ryo was there to greet him, pulling him down for another kiss, all heat and desperation. He was ready to crawl out of his skin from the anticipation alone. The very idea of having to wait much longer was almost physically painful to him. 

Ryo's hand slid down from neck to chest to stomach, dark fingers trekking the pale expanses of Yoko's skin, following the trail of wispy hair that ran from Yoko's belly button down past the waist of his sweatpants. Yoko took the hint gladly, allowing Ryo to pull the fabric from him and kicking it to the side only to repeat the action on the thin, cotton shorts separating Ryo's skin from his own. He forced Ryo to lay back down and pushed Ryo's legs up to his chest, fingers massaging the back of Ryo's left thigh with on hand as he leaned in to kiss the head of Ryo's cock, blowing a hot puff of air against the hardened flesh that had Ryo groaning and rolling his hips forward. 

It had always frustrated Ryo--Yoko's insistence on drawing things out as much as he could--and having sex with him was no exception. Yoko's tongue ran a lazy path up the shaft of his cock, warm and tempting, lips toying with the sensitive bundle of nerves at the tip. Ryo tangled his hands in Yoko's hair, tugging on the jet black strands when Yoko finally took him into the hot, wet confines of his mouth. Ryo was so distracted by the way Yoko pressed his tongue along the underside of his dick, the muscle all but cupping him as he sucked, that he almost missed the feel of a finger sliding down the crevice of his ass to circle his entrance. He stiffened instinctively at the first press of digit against the ring of muscle, only loosening up when Yoko began to bob his head slowly, allowing Ryo a little leeway to make shallow thrusts into his mouth. Ryo still wasn't used to the intrusion, but as with all things, Yoko knew exactly where and how much to manipulate people in order to divert their attention away from any lingering unpleasantness. It made sense that the skill would carry over into the bedroom. 

Ryo had never realized just how long Yoko's fingers were until they were inside him, stroking and twisting and making Ryo feel like he was losing his mind. He tried to simultaneously rock back onto Yoko's hand and up into his mouth, breath coming out in strangled puffs, feeling his face grow hot from the noises Yoko was managing to pull out of him but entirely unable to stop himself. Like a violin strung too tight, merciless under the nimble fingers of a mad violinist and waiting for the inevitable violent snap of its strings as it trilled out a devil's waltz. 

All too soon Ryo could feel the familiar tightness in his belly, curling around itself dangerously like a viper preparing to strike. He was on the precipice, preparing to fall and then... Yoko was gone, lips and fingers abandoning him to provide an opportunity to attempt to catch both his breath and his scattered wits. Two tasks that seemed like impossibly arduous chores at the moment. 

Ryo was vaguely aware of the strangled whine he made, but was too frustrated at being pulled back from the brink of orgasm to do much about it. He cracked his eyes open only to find Yoko rolling on a condom and staring at him again, eyes all but devouring him. A wave of self-consciousness washed over Ryo and he found himself wishing that Yoko hadn't turned the light on earlier.

"Stop staring at me," he huffed, trying to hide his face behind his arm, "it's weird."

He felt Yoko take his wrist and move his arm out of the way. With his vision no longer obscured, he could see an affectionate smile on the other man's face as he pulled Ryo up and onto his lap. "You're cute when you're all hot and bothered."

"Shut up."  
Yoko laughed, capturing Ryo's lips again and grabbing either side of Ryo's ass as he did so, lifting him up so he was straddling Yoko's waist. As if on cue, Ryo wrapped his arms around Yoko's neck and, biting down on his lip, allowed himself to sink down on Yoko's cock, hissing a little as he felt the unfamiliar girth fill him. It was strange to be stretched like that, barring on painful, but at the same time, satisfying in a way he hadn't known he'd missed. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on evening out his breath. Yoko's arms around him helped draw his focus elsewhere, one hand rubbing the back of Ryo's neck while the other was busy massaging the base of his spine. "You okay?"

"Nnn," Ryo nodded, eyebrows drawn together tightly as he let his body get used to the new sensation. 

He felt Yoko's hands still for a moment, and when his voice came out it was tense, barely more than a guttural whisper. "Do you think this is going to make things weird between us?"

Ryo managed a laugh between shallow breaths. How very like Yoko to ask a question like that only after they were already in the thick of things. "I don't see how it can get any weirder. Now move."

He could hear Yoko chuckle deep in the back of his throat, kissing a line across Ryo's collar bones. "Yes, sir." Those two words were all the warning he got before Yoko started to move. He set up a lazy pace, hands on Ryo's ass to guide him up and down, going almost mind numbingly slow. With every thrust Ryo felt his mind slipping, reverting back into a more primal state that had him hissing and growling like a feral cat, clawing at Yoko's skin and biting without a care as to where his teeth landed. Digging his nails into Yoko's shoulders, marring the smooth, flushed skin with little crescent moons, ghostly whites that ripened to rich reds and pinks; a tiny galaxy of pleasure and pain erupting across Yoko's back. 

It seemed like Yoko was everywhere at once; under, around, and inside him, skin sliding against sweat-slicked skin. When Ryo let his head loll backwards, Yoko took it as an invitation, sucking on the place where neck met shoulder, alternately biting and laving his tongue over the abused area. Ryo's fingers scrabbled backwards desperately, searching for the backboard to simultaneously try to give himself leverage and hold on for dear life. His legs were beginning to give out on him, the muscles aching from the effort to keep their rhythm, and it was all he could do to keep his limbs from turning to jelly under Yoko's care. 

Ryo wasn't sure if he'd let some dark plea slip from his lips or if Yoko was a mind reader, but suddenly Yoko was pulling him back, arms wrapped tightly across his shoulders, and then they were shifting, tipping until Ryo's back met the bed again. Long gone was the gentle pace from before, replaced by deep, frenzied thrusts, Yoko panting ragged breaths against his ear. Ryo whined and pressed their chests together, fingers scratching between Yoko's shoulder blades. God, he was so close. " _Yoko._ "

Yoko grunted, pulling a hand from under Ryo to travel around and wrap around Ryo's cock and that was all it took; match point game with Yoko as the victor, but it was a defeat Nishikido took gladly. Ryo threw his head back against the pillows, releasing over Yoko's fingers and onto his stomach with a startled yelp, heart hammering in his throat as he fought to come down from his own orgasm against the continued stimulation of Yoko pounding into him. 

Thankfully he didn't have to hold on long before Yoko tensed, speed decreasing to a few soft rocks of his hips, burying himself deep in Ryo and shuddering to completion. Ryo sought out Yoko's lips blindly, rewarding him with a few drawn out kisses, feeling sated and warm and spent, entirely content to languish in the afterglow.

Yoko pulled out with a soft _'ah'_ , only leaving Ryo's side long enough to chuck the condom into the waste bin by the bedside table before collapsing back onto him, face down in his pillow and an arm slung across Ryo's chest. Nishikido smiled and poked Yoko in the ribs. "We should clean off."

"Don't wanna," was the muffled reply.

"We're gonna be gross in the morning." Ryo had to stifle a yawn. It was hard enough fighting off his own laziness when post-sex exhaustion was hitting him so hard, and Yoko was not helping. 

Yoko turned his head just enough so that he could nuzzle his nose against the side of Ryo's neck. Ryo swore he could catch the laughter in Yoko's voice. "I won't mind if you don't."  
As flawed as he knew it was, Ryo couldn't bring himself to argue with that line of logic; he could deal with a little discomfort as long as it meant not having to leave the warm press of Yoko's body against his. For the first night since Koyama had left, Ryo snuggled close to Yoko, conforming to his shape. Smiling as Yoko pressed sleepy kisses to the hollow of his neck and drifting off into a satisfied slumber.

\--

On their fourth and final morning in Osaka, Ryo woke up to his cell phone going off far too early for his liking. Checking the bedside clock and finding it was already close to 9:00, he climbed out of Yoko's arms (a task made harder by a half-asleep and petulant Yoko desperately trying to pull him back down to cuddle) and groped for his phone, placing it to his ear with an irritable grunt. "Nishikido."

"Good morning to you too, sexy."

Ryo's brain creaked into motion at the sound of Koyama's voice on the other end. "Oh, hey."

"Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, we overslept." He leaned over and brushed the hair from Yoko's eyes, whispering for him to wake up. He paused for a moment, weighing the conflicting emotions in his head, but affection won out over ego in the end and he kissed Yoko softly on the cheek, smiling when Yoko scrunched his face up in response and puckered his lips. Ryo indulged him with a brief peck. _Greedy._

"Long night?" There was something funny about Koyama's tone, something that sounded a lot like mischief and mirth and left Ryo feeling like he'd just been caught doing something naughty. Ryo decided to play it cool. He'd barely come to terms with the knowledge that he'd not only slept with Yoko, but enjoyed it; he wasn't sure if he wanted to share this fact just yet, even if it was with their mutual love interest. 

"You could say that." By that point, Yoko had finally opened his eyes, staring up inquisitively at Ryo and pointing to the phone. No sooner had Ryo mouthed Koyama's name than Yoko sat up, leaned in, and blew a kiss in the receiver, nearly catching Ryo's mouth in the process. Ryo rolled his eyes and kicked Yoko out of bed, trying to suppress the smile from spreading across his lips. As much as he hated to admit it, Yoko was kind of cute when he was half-awake and bleary-eyed, hair standing up every which way as he tottered uneasily to the bathroom. "The idiot sends his regards."

Koyama sounded amused, no doubt already used to their constant play fighting. "You two _are_ behaving, right?" 

"Trying to, but you know how it is. I might as well be getting paid to babysit."

"I'm sure it's not half that bad," Koyama laughed. Ryo found himself smiling instinctively at the sound, picturing the way Koyama's eyes crinkled up when he was amused. He couldn't wait to get back to Tokyo and see the real thing. "I bet you're having all sorts of fun without me."

Yoko chose that moment to walk back in from the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth and naked as the day he was born. As soon as he caught Ryo looking he shook his hips, purposefully waggling certain parts of his anatomy in Ryo's direction until Ryo reached back for a pillow and flung it at Yoko. The older man flinched and caught the pillow in the side, though Ryo could hear him try to laugh around the toothbrush.

Ryo smirked. "Don't worry. It's nothing we wouldn't invite you to join in on."


End file.
